Monstera

Turn your home into a jungle !

Common name : Monstera

Scientific name : Monstera

Family : Polygonaceae

Category : Indoor

Type of plant : Perennial

Cold-sensitive

Sun loving

Large pot

Monstera is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas. The genus is named from the Latin word for "monstrous" or "abnormal", and refers to the unusual leaves with natural holes members of the genus have.
They are herbs or evergreen vines, growing to heights of 20 metres (66 ft) in trees, usually climbing by means of aerial roots which act as hooks over branches, but will also grow into the soil to help support the plant. The leaves are alternate, leathery, dark green, very large, from 25–90 centimetres (9.8–35.4 in) long, often with holes in the leaf blade, and the flowers are borne on a specialised inflorescence called a spadix, 5–45 centimetres (2.0–17.7 in) long.
They are commonly grown indoors as houseplants.
Several species are on the market - among others the best known Monstera deliciosa, or its cousin M. adansonii and M. obliqua - sometimes even sold with the wrong label! Other plants of the same family in the Monstereae tribe have similar indented leaves, such as Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, which resembles a mini monstera or Epipremnum pinnatum.

Sowing & planting

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Caracteristics

Exposition

Water needs

Granulométrie

plants.granulometry_2

Frost-resistance

Medium

Zone USDA

10a

Height

200 - 1000

pH

5 - 7

Plant my monstera

Plant preferably between October and the end of March.
Choose a rather large pot, because your monstera will grow bigger after a few months.
Use ordinary potting soil, possibly adding a layer of gravel.
After planting, pour a watering can. Add some mulch if possible.
Place it in the light, and always keep it above 15 ° C.

Water my monstera

Water regularly in the first weeks. Try to avoid watering on sunny afternoons to minimize the amount of moisture lost to evaporation. If your plant is in a pot, check the top soil in the pot either by looking at it or touching it with your finger.

Repot my monstera

Repot every two years in a slightly larger pot, or opt for replacement of the soil's top layer if you can not change the pot. Replace some of the potting soil and loosen the edge roots by pulling on it.

Spray my monstera

Spray the leaves once a month to remove dust and prevent spider infestations.